Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Cultural Connection : A Communication Project Designed To Enhance Cultural Awareness And Global Workforce Skills, Devon M. Anderson Winters

Graduate Research Papers

The Cultural Exchange Project was developed to be a collaborative activity that would allow students from a computer applications class in Waterloo, Iowa, to communicate through electronic mail (email), letters, and video with students from a Polish high school. The project was developed to provide cultural awareness, foster international relationships, improve communication skills, and promote technology usage. Students completed various activities to prepare for and enhance this project. These activities included: lessons in "netiquette"; reports on other cultures, and worksheets for sharing personal information. Each student was assigned a partner to communicate with individually through letters and email. The author …

Comparison Of Academic Progress And Social Development For Retained And Socially Promoted Spanish Speaking Children In An International English-Medium School, Mavis A. Runia

Master of Education Program Theses

This two-year study was designed to investigate the effects of grade retention on a child's academic progress, English proficiency, and social development. All students (n=17) were native Spanish-speaking children, living in a Spanish speaking country, learning in an English-medium school. Each retained child was matched with a child in a control group and a child in a socially promoted group, based on age, sex, Sanford Achievement Test scores, and final reading, language, and math scores. The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHSCS) and the Comprehensive Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test (CREVT) were administered in the fall and spring for two consecutive …

Portland Dialect Study - High Rising Terminal Contours (Hrts) In Portland Speech, Rebecca A. Wolff

Dissertations and Theses

This study reports on the use of an intonation contour used in declarative clauses that is referred to in at least some of the literature as a "High Rising Terminal Contour" (HRTs). The intonation pattern is characterized by a final rise, which is similar to the pitch change used in yes-no questions. The purpose of this study is to document the use of this intonation pattern by residents of Portland, Oregon, in order to see what light it can shed on the HRT's status and function, especially among the young to see if it can be implicated in language change. …

Querida Prima, Dear Prima : A Story For Children Seven To Ten Years Old, Stephanie Hermann

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project is an original bilingual story of two cousins who live in two different countries. The United States and Costa Rica. They bridge their separation by writing letters and emails throughout the story. Through this correspondence they learn about each other and the have more in common in their seemingly distinct worlds than they realize. The text of the book is written in English. The correspondence between the two characters is in English with Spanish translations.

This thesis includes a rationale which explains the need for this book in a world that recognizes the importance of bilingualism and on …

Adapting The Current Chinese Textbooks To Meet The Requirements Of The National Standards, Gloria Feung

MA TESOL Collection

The ever-increasing diversity of the language classroom has become a trend in this pluralistic American society. The presence of large groups of students who have home backgrounds in Chinese has outnumbered the non-native speakers in my class at Enloe High School in recent years. Since Chinese is still a small program, the school cannot offer a separate track for non-native students. Furthermore, due to the limited number of classes, students officially registered in different levels cannot be placed in different classrooms. How to provide a feasible, sequenced, and integrated curriculum to a mixture of native-speakers and non-native speakers as well …

Counting Quality, John Strassburger

Publications

This is the fifth in a series of occasional papers about the challenges confronting students and what Ursinus is doing to help them enter adult life.

Supporting Teachers Of Elementary English As A Second Language Students: A Facilitative Handbook Of Activities, Strategies, And Resources, Kathryn E. Getzinger

All Graduate Projects

Stanwood School District has seen an increase of second language students. Many teachers within the district have little or no training in second language acquisition and were having difficulty meeting the needs of these students. A facilitative handbook for supporting teachers of elementary second language students was created. In order to find the strategies that would best serve this student population current research on language development and teaching strategies for English as a Second Language students was examined. Teachers in the Stanwood School District will receive the handbook in the fall 2000.

The Impact Of Cultural Sensitivity Training On Filipino Nurses As Measured By Alterations In Caring Behaviors, Mary Beth Russell

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Diversity In The College Curriculum : Overview Of The Literature, Ruben J. Carrion

Graduate Research Papers

The colleges and universities in the United States that have adopted a proactive commitment to diversity in the curriculum have done so because they understand how their central mission is linked with the future of a diverse society. They are aware that, in the new millennium, most new jobs in the economy require a postsecondary education, and women and racial/ethnic minorities compose a majority of the workforce. One result of this awareness is the transformation taking place at many institutions that links diversity in the curriculum with the development of new teaching practices and learning practices.

This review of the …

An Investigation Of The Haitian-American Community In New Jersey And Its Understanding Of School Choice, Hildegarde Vernet

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Authentic And Conventional Tasks In Esl Students' Learning Of Grammar, Jessica A. Midraj

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of authentic tasks and conventional tasks on ESL students' achievement in grammar. In order to accomplish the purpose of this study two 3-day grammar units on the simple present and simple past were created for ESL students at the high beginner/intermediate level. Each unit had an authentic and conventional version. The sample consisted of 45 ESL students in grades six through 11 in public schools in Indiana. Two treatment groups were formulated based upon the treatment received. Group A consisted of the students who received the authentic version of Unit …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Effects Of Multicultural Education On The Racial Attitudes Of Pre-K Through Grade 12 Students: A Comparison Of Curricular Intervention And Reinforcement Dimensions In Suburban And Urban Educational Settings, Ogochukwu Nkeiruka N. Okoye-Johnson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This meta-analysis examined the effects of multicultural education on the racial attitudes of students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Multicultural education, which evolved as a direct result of the push for ethnic studies in schools, was operationalized for this study as programs and curricula dealing with racial and cultural diversity.

The findings of thirty selected studies were synthesized in this meta-analysis to examine whether students exposed to multicultural education developed more positive racial attitudes than students who did not. This meta-analysis compared the effect sizes of two dimensions of multicultural education, curricular intervention and reinforcement, to see the relative effectiveness …

Juegos De Educatión: Collection Of Student-Centered Spanish Language Activities In A Web Based Format, Geoff W. Bullis, Jenny R. Smith

All Graduate Projects

This project incorporates the use of games and activities as supplemental resources with today's technology enhanced environment. It was designed to create an easily accessible resource for teachers of Spanish language instruction. Our project focused on creating a Web site on the Internet which included several student-centered activities. The development of the project included research of similar Web sites, literature regarding best teaching practices and methods, Gardner's multiple intelligences, specifically bodily/kinesthetic intelligence, and a teacher questionnaire focusing on the need for the project. Through the research and questionnaire it was determined that a dearth of Web-based resources are available to …

A Case Study Of The Effects Of Integration On Two Black High Schools In East Tennessee, Sheila R. Knaff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of integration on two black high schools and their communities in East Tennessee. The purpose of the study was to show how integration impacted these two communities both negatively and positively. The research method was qualitative and used the case study approach. Interviews of former students, teachers, and administrators of these two schools was a primary source of data collection. Further analysis of the data used the qualitative software package QSR NUD*IST 4.0. Data gained from the interviews, coupled with historical and current literature, as well as other published documents in relation to these two …

Attempting Preventing Reinventing The Wheel: Establishing Chicano/A-Latino/A Studies At A Midwest Urban University, Joseph A. Valades, Theresa Barron-Mckeagney, Michael Carroll, Lourdes Gouveia, Lucy Garza

Social Work Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

“This session will focus on the personal observations of three faculty who sought to establish a minor in Chicano/a-Latino/a Studies . . . Follow our graphic accounts as we wrestle with the decision of actually embarking on such a quest amidst our thencurrent demands of doctoral coursework, research, teaching and tenure.” In the fall semester of 1995, Chicano/a Studies was formally recognized as a "minor" at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Two years previously, three faculty members from the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at UNO diligently worked to gather student and faculty support and put the …

Recruitment Of High School Minority Students Into Engineering, Math, Science And Technology Futures On Predominantly White Campuses, Franklin Titus Thompson, Tome Sires, Carol Batt

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

“This session is for college administrators who wish to make traditionally elitist program more inclusive. Its is also helpful to community and school district personnel who wish to investigate how to set up a similar program in their community.”

Teaching English/Spanish Cognates To Increase Reading Comprehension, Stacey A. Suhm

All Graduate Projects

A curriculum has been developed for middle school English as a Second Language (ESL) students to improve their reading comprehension. A review of the literature found that vocabulary is an essential part of reading comprehension and becoming aware of English/Spanish cognates can increase the students' English vocabulary. The curriculum includes a survey to assess a student's knowledge and use of cognates, lesson plans to introduce the concept of cognates, to practice recognizing English/Spanish cognates, and learn the correlation of suffixes between English and Spanish. The curriculum also includes lists of English/Spanish cognates divided by subjects.

Multi-Culture Unit On Native Americans, Calvin E. Marschall

All Graduate Projects

The culture of the Native American has been ignored by the educational institutions of the United States far too long. With the recent comi decisions upholding Native American treaties, local school districts must obligate themselves to the teaching of Native American culture. The purpose of this project was to develop a multicultural unit, about Native American culture, and then introduce this unit of study into the history classes at Wenatchee High School.

Shrinking The World: A Supplementary High School Computer Curriculum, Trevor L. T. Greene

All Graduate Projects

The project contains a high school supplementary computer curriculum centered on the acquisition of the Spanish language and understanding of the culture. The review of the literature indicates that the computer can be an effective medium with which to facilitate cooperative or collaborative learning and individualized instruction. In addition, technology provides an opportunity for peer tutoring and can instill a desire to learn. The project activities were designed around communicative, cultural, or structural goals that were identified in one or more of the three lessons located in each unit of the Dime Uno textbook. The supplementary computer curriculum was developed …

An Intergenerational Literacy Project For Migrant Families, Sandra E. Harmening, Amy C. Kiesz

All Graduate Projects

The relationship between student achievement and parental involvement was reviewed and found to be significant. A model project was developed to include seven migrant families intergenerationally within the context of the classroom. The purpose was to enhance the relationship between students and parents/guardians and between these low literacy families and the school institution. The result was projected to be a better understanding of each family's heritage, an increase in volunteerism at the school site, more interest in school work and accomplishment, and the possible residual effect of parental desire to improve their literacy skills.

Nine Complementary Principles To Retain Adults In An Esol/Literacy Program, Edmund T. Hamann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The following list of principles is my attempt to share general recommendations to teachers of ESOL and/or limited literacy adults based on my specific practice running a bilingual family literacy program and confirmed by my more recent experience as a volunteer bilingual literacy teacher at the Asociación Latinoamericana (in Atlanta). Though I believe in bilingual classroom environments, I think the principles identified here are also pertinent to monolingual ESL environments.

A Guide For Educators In Teaching Four Central American Indigenous Tales, Judith C. Ginther

All Graduate Projects

An informal study was conducted to develop a guide for grades 4-6 educators to use in teaching Central American folklore in the context of an interdisciplinary curriculum. Four story books were selected which reflect the cultures of Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama and serve to illustrate the oral tradition of peoples from these countries. The instructional method used was the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) by Chamot and O'Malley. Based on the language acquisition and bilingualism research and theoretical work of Jim Cummins, CALLA follows a comprehensive lesson plan model that integrates language development, academic content mastery, and …

A Model Training Program For Chinese Language Newspaper Journalists In Taiwan, Joan Chiung-Hua Tseng

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a model training program for Chinese language newspaper journalists in Taiwan. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current literature regarding newspaper journalist training programs and related material was conducted.

Journal Of Pedagogy, Pluralism And Practice, Volume 1, Issue 2, Fall 1997 (Full Issue), Journal Staff

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice

This issue of the Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism and Practice is dedicated to the memory of Paulo Freire who died on May 2, 1997 at the age of 75. Paulo Freire is the author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, The Politics of Education, Pedagogy of the City, Pedagogy of Hope and many other books that have created a radical discourse on liberatory education and have influenced teachers, theorists and cultural workers throughout the world. His last book, Pedagogia da Autonomia: Saberes necessários à prática educativa, is not yet translated in English, but is expected soon, possibly …

Journal Of Pedagogy, Pluralism And Practice, Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 1997 (Full Issue), Journal Staff

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice

No abstract provided.

Unlv College Of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter, Steve Mccafferty, John Filler, Nancy P. Gallavan, Le Ann Putney, Kyle Higgins, Porter Troutman, Stanley Zehm, Cyndi Giorgis, Mildred Mcclain, Sheila Gregory, Joyce Nelson-Leaf

College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter

The Clark County School District has long recognized the need to provide training and support for teachers and other staff in the area of multicultural education. In 1992, the development and funding of a multicultural education program, Project MCE, formalized, for the first time, the district's commitment to providing students with a true multicultural education. Project MCE is a part of the CCSD Compensatory Education Division, Elise Ax, Assistant Superintendent.

Creating Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Sally M. Goodenbour

Graduate Research Papers

Many teachers enter teaching situations in which the culture of the students is very different from their own. Human relations classes help to make one aware of the different cultures that may exist, but the classes often do not provide instruction on how to link the cultural situation to instructional practices. This project was designed to help preservice and practicing teachers become aware that our nation is becoming more diverse, to build their knowledge about multicultural education (including becoming familiar with the cultural background of their students}, and to understand that there are many instructional strategies that can assist in …

Bridging The Cultural Gap Between Home And School, Anne Chanco Lewis

Graduate Research Papers

This journal article explores the significance of the early implementation of multicultural literature in young children's lives. As young children prepare for the transition from home culture to school culture, problems may occur, such as cultural conflict, if both minority and majority children are not prepared for the school's diverse population. By incorporating multicultural literature experiences, both educators and parents can help to raise the awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity.

In addition to becoming more aware of cultural diversity, children will also learn tolerance of children of another ethnic background. If young children are involved with multicultural literacy activities …

Demythifying Multicultural Education: Social Semiotics As A Tool Of Critical Pedagogy, Stephanie Urso Spina

Publications and Research

This article discusses the assumptions and curricular implications of a social semiotic approach to education. Semiotics refers to the meaning we make with language as well as other objects. events, and actions. Social semiotics emphasizes the social, cultural, historic, and political contexts that shape that meaning. A social semiotic approach to education can help teachers and teacher educators to deconstruct the reproduction of class, politicize the ideology of colonialism, and overcome the inequities they engender. By providing a way to challenge selectively reproduced cultural politics, social semiotics provides a way to reconstruct and democratize schools and society.

Prereading And Postreading Activities For Children's Multicultural Trade Books, Sandra Gail Beardsley

All Graduate Projects

A review of literature was completed to support the need for, and value of, using multicultural literature within the elementary classroom. The criteria for selecting multicultural literature was also reviewed. The project consisted of a booklist and prereading and postreading activities for twenty-five multicultural trade books. The purpose of the project was to heighten student's awareness of the multicultural community in which they live and appreciation of cultures throughout the world. The strategies and activities developed for these books were based on the whole language philosophy. The twenty-five trade books were divided into four themes: 1. Grandparents, 2. Folktales and …